I turned the corner in 1983. My 1972 BMW 2002 got me through HS and college and I loved it.
But, I was stashed at an A-6 Squadron in Virginia Beach (NAS Oceana) and about to head to flight school in Florida. The 2002 had no A/C, was tech-wise older than it's 11 years.
A lot changed with cars between 1972 and 1983. Remember vapor lock? 1983 doesn't either.
I am an Ensign at this point and hate debt - and there was no guarantee I'd make it through flight school and have a job. So, I sold the 2002 for a good price and bought a new 1983 Mazda GLC, four doors of love, my friends, and paid a little bit of cash so no loan.
It was an amazing car, better than anything I had ever owned to date. That was when I adopted the, "own something fun, DD something Japanese" mantra. Everything worked all the time.
Six years in San Diego, owned a home in Coronado, bought and sold 4 P-Cars, sold the GLC when I left.
Gaze in awe at the GLC, not mine:
